1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a guard for trees and plants, including seedlings, saplings and vines, and more particularly to a self-locking tree and plant guard.
2. Description of Prior Art
Trees and plants, particularly when young, are subject to a variety of hazards to their trunks and stems. These include environmental hazards such as gnawing by rodents and deer, insect damage and ultraviolet sun damage.
A variety of tree and plant guards for this purpose are known. One type of guard is a sheet of flexible material which when wrapped and connected around a trunk or stem, a cylindrical guard is formed. A problem area is the manner in which the ends of the sheet are connected. Some guards are simply secured with tape, a non-permanent and time-consuming method. Others use clasps. The use of clasps as a means for connection increases the cost of manufacture due to the need for attachment of the clasps to the sheet. Other guards utilize projecting integral tabs provided on one end of the sheet and receiving slits or cut outs for the tabs on the opposing end of the sheets. This use of an outwardly projecting tab also increases the cost of manufacture due to the waste created by utilization of an outwardly projecting tab, rather than a tab formed from within the sheet. Finally, the guard that does utilize a tab and receiving cut but system where the tab is formed from within the sheet, utilizes a tab that is not conducive to one-handed connection by a user, thereby increasing the time spent attaching the guards. As such, there is a need for a simple and economical guard that can be attached and connected around a tree or stem with one hand.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 110,091 to Trunmbell discloses a tree protector coniprising a rectangular shape of material with cut in sections on its inner edge so as to create a box when wrapped around a tree. Once wrapped around the tree, this protector is connected via clasps. U.S. Pat. No. 219,987 to Scott discloses a tree protector comprising material in a conical shape plus a band that once wrapped around a tree is connected via a double clasp construction, much like a paper clip. U.S. Pat. No. 283,387 to Wallace discloses a guard for plants and trees comprising a material saturated with insect deterrent that is connected via projecting tongues on one edge that fit into slits on the opposing edge. This guard has tongues projecting outwardly from the material. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 642,064 to Bainey, U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,325 to Angus, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,783 to McLean patents disclose tree guards that include tongues or tabs that project outwardly from the material and into opposing slits or slots as a means of connecting the opposing edges of the guard.
In addition, while U.S. Pat. No. 1,548,628 to Gulin discloses a tree protector that is generally rectangular with a curved top edge that is connected via tongues and slits wherein the tongues are an integral part of the material, the two sets of tongues and slits, one horizontal and one vertical, are difficult to maneuver. It requires two hands and the tabs need to fit into slits.
The current device embodying the invention circumvents these issues by utilizing tabs and receiving cut outs, such as a slit or cut out, that are formed out of and integral with the sheet, and by utilizing a shape and position of the tab or tabs so as to allow a one handed operation by the user.
Accordingly, several objects of the invention are:
1. to provide for economical manufacture and reduction of waste in the manufacture due to a limitation in the number of parts;
2. to provide for simple and quick attachment and connection of a guard around a tree or stem;
3. to provide for a guard that can be attached with the use of only one hand; and
4. to provide for a guard that is not easily detachable.
The tree guard in its flattened state comprises a flat sheet having a top edge, a bottom edge, and two side ends, which when rolled forms a cylindrical shape. Locking tabs in a wing shape are provided on one end of the sheet, which are formed form and integral with the sheet, one tab adjacent the top edge and one tab adjacent the bottom edge. Preferably each wing has a curved side portion adjacent the end and a straight opposing side portion, the straight portion creating a secure locking edge. A pair of receiving cut outs are provided on the other end of the sheet, and are positioned so as to securely receive and hold the wing shaped locking tabs when the sheet is rolled into the cylindrical shape and the side ends connected to each other. Preferably each cut out is an angularly positioned oval shape, one for each wing of each wing-shaped tab and is angled approximately 45 degrees from vertical toward its side edge of the shape. The cut outs may also include slits or other shapes, so long as the wing shaped tabs are able to be secured.
One benefit of the wing-shape of the tabs is the ease of connecting the side ends, because of the ability to use one hand to push the tabs into the cut outs or other opening of the opposing end to form the cylindrical shape.